Indore (Madhya Pradesh): The district is grappling with an education crisis as 2 lakh students have dropped out of private schools, contributing to a staggering 6.70 lakh dropouts across the state in the 2024-25 academic year.

The alarming statistic highlights a troubling trend that has seen the state's dropout rate soar by one lakh students compared to the previous year, with 4.67 lakh leaving government schools.

Indore’s education sector is facing a sharp decline, with 11,000 students abandoning government schools and 2 lakh students dropping out of private institutions. This troubling pattern is not confined to Indore alone, as other districts across Madhya Pradesh are also witnessing significant dropout rates.

Barwani leads with 17,000 students leaving school, followed by Chhindwara and Chhatarpur, where 16,000 students each have discontinued their education.

In total, 79.75 lakh students were enrolled in government schools in the 2024-25 academic year. However, 4.67 lakh students have failed to take admission and 53.81 lakh students are still pending enrollment, underscoring systemic challenges across the state.

The report from the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) also highlights that Indore has reported 11,000 dropouts from government schools, marking it as one of the state's worst-hit districts.

Factors behind rising dropout rate

The education department has cited several reasons for this crisis, including migration of families, poor academic performance and inaccurate student tracking systems.

With the increasing use of online child tracking, educationists suggest that the dropout figures might be higher than that reported due to issues like duplicate enrollments in both government and private schools.

Dr. Damodar Jain, an education expert, argued that "online tracking systems are now revealing more accurate numbers, but these figures still fail to explain the underlying issues within the educational framework, such as lack of engagement, outdated teaching methods and inadequate resources."

The government is now under intense pressure to address these alarming statistics. Initiatives like 'School Chalo Abhiyan', aimed at re-enrolling 23 lakh dropout students are being touted as a crucial first step toward rectifying the situation.

However, experts believe that a more comprehensive overhaul is needed, one that includes not just enrollment drives but also improvements in infrastructure, teaching quality and better student support systems.